A Day to Remember
by Finntastic17
Summary: AU. It's September 11, 2001, and Finn and Rachel are happy and engaged. But when he leaves for a job interview in the morning, what will happen? Finchel, Samchel. Very depressing. T just in case. One-Shot.
1. Chapter 1

**So I decided to write a one-shot for 9/11 with a Glee/Finchel twist. It is very AU, and very sad. I am warning you now there is no happy ending, so if you do not enjoy reading stories that lack this quality, I suggest you stop reading. I hope you enjoy. Please take a moment to remember the 3,000 lives we lost to this tragedy. Thank you. And for the record, I did not lose anyone to this tragedy, but it is still an important part of our history. Also, please realize that this may not be historically accurate...as long as it gets the message across, though, it is fine.**

_The Beginning_

They were in New York. It was September 10, 2001. She felt alive as she closed the space between them and pressed her lips to his. "We made it." She whispered as the kisses became more heated. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist but doing nothing more. She grinned and pulled away, smiling.

"You're excited." He observed. She giggled.

"We're in New York!" She exclaimed. "You have that job interview tomorrow, and I have my audition." She smiled coyly, her fingers twining with his. "And then I'll meet you for lunch."

"Breakfast first." He demanded. She rolled her eyes.

"But, Finn…" She ran her fingers through his hair. "You have to leave for the interview early. We won't get time for breakfast.

"At nine, I will meet you for breakfast." He stated firmly. She giggled and sighed, meeting his hazel eyes.

"Okay." She finally agreed. His face lit up in a smile and they were kissing again.

"Besides," he breathed, "we still have plans to make." Her diamond engagement ring sparkled as the sunlight caught it. She chuckled.

"Rachel Hudson." She paused, smiling slowly. "I like the sound of that."

"I do, too." He murmured.

They kissed the night away and fell asleep in each other's arms that night. The next morning, before Finn left for his early interview, he placed a soft kiss on Rachel's forehead. "Breakfast at nine; don't forget. I love you." She moaned something in reply, causing Finn to chuckle. He grabbed his car keys and left their tiny apartment, starting his voyage to the Twin Towers.

It was September 11, 2001.

_The Tragedy_

Rachel awoke the next morning at eight. This was late for her. She yawned and sat up in bed, blinking through the dim sunlight and ignoring the fog that was slowly settling in. She stepped out of bed and trudged off to the shower. After finishing her normal morning routine, she was ready. It was almost eight thirty. Thank goodness the coffee shop she and Finn frequented was walking distance. She left her apartment in a hurry and rushed off to the coffee shop. When she got there, it was eight forty.

She imagined Finn sitting across from one of those big bosses near the top of the Twin Towers. She smiled. The way they touched the sky made Rachel flush. She hated heights, but those towers were in an exception. They were truly magnificent. And to think Finn Hudson, her husband-to-be, would end up working there just thrilled her.

She glanced at the clock in the coffee shop. 8:43. She knew she was way too early, but she honestly didn't care. There was a certain charm to this coffee shop that made her want to stay there forever.

A younger looking employee made her way over to Rachel and stared at the window, shaking her head.

"It looks like that airplane over there is losing control." She sighed, chuckling. Rachel followed her gaze and a small smile graced her lips.

"It does." Rachel agreed. She glanced at the clock. 8:47. Then it was 8:48. She leaned back in her seat, jumping suddenly when a loud crash sounded outside. Bewildered, she leapt to her feet and darted outside, ignoring the screams of terror that filled the streets. Heart racing, she charged in the direction of the crash. _No…_The Twin Towers. The airplane had crashed into one of the towers that made of the World Trade Center.

"Get away!" Someone shouted, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her away. Flames erupted from the building as it slowly came crashing down. Things seemed to move in slow motion from then. 9:04 came. Another plane crashed into the other tower. The tower Finn was in.

"My fiancé is in there!" Rachel shrieked to the person dragging her.

"You can't go there!" The man shouted back to her. "It's a death scene." The words echoed in her head. _It's a death scene…_

They found shelter in an apartment complex far from the accident site. They turned on the television and watched in silence as news reporters covered what was happening. It was a terrorist attack. Rachel sat on the bed sobbing. The man who had dragged her away hesitantly reached out to comfort her. He tried to cheer her up by telling her lives were still being saved. Rachel hoped Finn's would be one of them.

The next day came, and there wasn't a word from Finn. The death toll came in at a shocking 3,000.

She got a call later that she dreaded.

Finn Hudson, the man she had fallen in love with, had been one of those 3,000.

_The Art of Getting By_

It took her three years to finally remove the engagement ring from her finger. Five to visit Finn's gravestone. Two to finally move on. She missed Finn; there was no doubt about that. But she realized that Finn would have wanted her to open her heart up to someone else. So she did.

She met a nice guy named Sam Evans. They started dating.

"So tell me about the last relationship you were in." He said on one of their first dates. He was curious. She could tell.

"I was engaged." Rachel admitted quietly.

"Really?" He seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, ten years ago, I was engaged to be married." She bit back tears.

"What happened?"

"Nine eleven." He comforted her when she burst into tears. And he did every day after that. It took them a while, but soon they were engaged to be married as well. And they did end up getting married on April 5, 2011. It would have been the day nine years ago that she and Finn would have exchanged those two fateful words and joined together as a family.

When she was pregnant with hers and Sam's first child, she dragged herself to visit Finn's gravestone for the first time in four years. She stared at it, grasping onto an old, faded piece of paper before setting it down next to the cold stone. She ignored the demanding kick in her belly and stepped away.

"I miss you." She whispered. "I'll always miss you. And I'll always love you." She left, unable to stay any longer, and left her letter. She hoped that he knew how she felt about him. How she would always feel about him.

_Dear Finn,_

_It's been ten years. Ten long years without you. I miss you so much. Not a moment goes by when I'm not thinking about you. To think that today we would be celebrating our ninth anniversary. And I'm celebrating my first with Sam. He's a nice guy, but he could never compare to you._

_I feel like I've betrayed you. I shouldn't have pushed you to go to the interview that day. I'm sorry. Had I known what tragedy would have occurred, I would have kept you home and held you in my arms, never letting you go. But that's not what fate had in mind for us. Fate is a bitch. It took you away from me. And for that, I shall never forgive fate. You were my everything. Now, you are my nothing. Nothing but a memory. And even those start to fade as time goes away._

_Your face is nothing but a blurred picture in my mind. The edges seemed to have softened as the years went on. I want to remember you forever. I have the willpower to remember you forever. But I think you would have wanted me to move on and to get closure. So I'll trust my better judgment and do what I think you would have wanted._

_I fell in love with Sam. I married Sam, and now I'm going to have Sam's child. Admittedly, I know it should be yours. I know I should be Mrs. Finn Hudson. That's how things would have been had they gone as planned. But not all things are meant to follow a plan. Our relationship never did. This is not an exception._

_I hope you can forgive me. I still have your ring. I still have everything that you ever gave me, from your love notes to your crazy ties that I loathed so much. I'd give anything to see you wearing one again. But then again, I'm moving on, just as you would have wanted. So maybe it's smarter to leave them as they are now. _

_I'll make sure that my kid knows who you are. What a wonderful man you were and how you lost your life to a tragedy so cruel. _

_I want to apologize, Finn. I want to apologize for moving on so boldly. For pretending through my actions and words that you never existed to me, but in my thoughts you lived on. I hope that where you are now that you are able to forgive me. _

_I also want to thank you. Writing you has given me the strength to move on and set you free. You are no longer a caged bird resting in my hand. You are free to fly wherever you choose. And if you choose to fly only inches away from me, then I'll know you were mine to begin with._

_But if you choose to never return, I understand. It's what was meant to happen._

_I love you, forever and always._

_Rachel Evans *_

The breezes whispered 'thank you' all throughout the day. She knew it was him speaking through Mother Nature. And before the day was through, she heard him say 'I love you' one last time.

The End

**So, what did you think? This is my first one-shot…ever. I really should do more of these. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave me a review and what not regarding your thoughts. I enjoy receiving them. Read my others stories, like my Facebook page (entitled 'Finntastic17- Fanfiction'), and most importantly…REVIEW! Take a moment to remember the lives lost on 9/11 as well. Please realize that this may not be historically accurate...**


	2. RIP Cory Monteith

My fellow Gleeks.

Today truly is a saddening and heartbreaking day. There are no words I can think of to console the sadness that wells up in my heart as I listen to 'Don't Stop Believing' yet again. Cory Monteith was a wonderful man with a beautiful heart and soul. He changed a lot of our lives and taught us many things. For many of us, it was easy to identify with such a magnificent young man. He did such great things for everyone. And the way he loved Lea Michele, both as Finn Hudson on Glee and Cory Monteith in the real world, was remarkable. It goes to show that good guys do exist, for he truly was one of them.

I was bullied a lot throughout middle school and part of high school, as I have yet to finish (I graduate this year). It was depressing and a very hard time for me. I ended up curling up in this shell and remaining hidden from the world as I feared being hurt again. Then Glee came…I instantly fell in love with its characters, its lessons, and its stories. I identified the most with Rachel, but I fell in love with Finn:). I loved how he loved Rachel, and it made me feel loved in a way. That's how powerful Cory was as an actor…he made someone as insignificant as me feel special. He was my first celebrity crush and helped me set my standards for men. If they're not like Finn, then they're not worth it…lol. It seems unrealistic, yes, but at the same time…it's not.

Cory Monteith was my hero. I could not thank him more for what he's done for me. Though he will never truly know, he did make such a huge difference in my life, and for that, I am grateful. I hope he finds peace where he is now3 and my heart, of course, goes out to his family and Lea. God bless, and don't stop believing. Stay tuned this week for an update of some of my stories in honor and in memory and dedicated to Cory Monteith.

Rachel Berry on Glee once said that being a part of something special made you special. It was later repeated in season two by Finn Hudson when he and Rachel were fighting. He asked if she considered them to be a part of something special.

Cory, you are forever in the hearts of millions of fans. You have clarified the meaning of special for us, and you will always be a part of something special.

~Finntastic17

RIP Cory Monteith 7/14/13. You will be missed.


End file.
